This presentation was given to first year pharmacy students as part of a course on medical physiology and pathophysiology.

1. Neuroanatomy & Neurophysiology
Brian J. Piper, Ph.D., M.S.

2. Goals
• Major Brain Areas
– Sensory
– Motor
– Emotion
– Cognition
• Neuroimaging

3. Spinal Cord
• Divided into regions:
– Cervical
– Thoracic
– Lumbar
– Sacral
• Function
– Motor
– Sensation

6. Beneath Skull
• Dura: thick/tough layer
• Arachnoid: contains blood vessels
• Pia: thin layer

7. ______ lobe

8. Match Color

9. Description of 3-Dimensional Space
• Coronal:
– section from ear to ear, like a loaf of bread
• Axial:
– section that parallels horizon
• Sagittal:
– section from front to back
– mid-sagittal shows brain with left and
right cortex separated

10. Corpus Callosum
• Fibers that connect left and right cortex

11. Anatomical Terminology

12. Cingulate Gyrus
• Tissue surrounding corpus collosum
– Anterior
– Posterior

13. Brainstem
The Medulla is the base
of the brainstem that
controls heartbeat and
breathing.
Example: SIDS

14. Cerebellum
• Located below the
occipital cortex
CC • Important for motor
function
BS • Site of action of alcohol

15. Cerebellum
(a mid-sagittal)
• Located below the
CC
occipital cortex
• Important for motor
function
BS
• Site of action of alcohol

16. Functions of Different Cortical Areas
• Frontal: cognition, executive function
• Temporal: hearing, olfaction
• Occipital: vision
• Parietal: integration of sensory information
Dorsal
Posterior Anterior
Ventral

17. Sensory Areas

18. Thalamus
• Located in the center of
the brain
• Major relay center,
information from spinal
cord goes to thalamus,
thalamus has many
connections to the
cortex

19. Hippocampus
• Bilateral structure
• Greek for seahorse
• Essential for memory,
especially spatial
memory
• Forms new neurons
http://www.bris.ac.uk/Depts/Synaptic/info/pathway/hippocampal.htm

20. Animal
Research
=
?
Very helpful, but ….

21. Hippocampus Comparison

22. Amygdala
The Amygdala consists of
two lima bean-sized neural
clusters linked to the
emotions of fear

23. Brain Areas Important for
Hormone Control
Rene Descartes
• Pineal Gland
– Very small subcortical structure
– Releases the hormone melatonin
• Hypothalamus
– Hypo = “below” therefore located
under thalamus
– Regulates activity of Pituitary
– Pituitary communicates with
other endocrine glands (e.g.
testes)
– 4F!

24. Ventricles: Contain CSF

25. What is the impact of …?

26. http://www.omsi.edu/visit/life/aging/brainText.cfm

27. Brain Imaging
• Can provide information about anatomy or physiology
• Imaging procedures differ in their:
– Spatial resolution: the ability to differentiate nearby brain
regions
– Temporal resolution: the ability to differentiate brain
activity at different times

28. Electroencephalography (EEG)
1873-1941
• Developed by Hans
Berger in 1929
• Electrodes are placed
on the surface of the
skull
• Electrical activity from
the cortex is recorded
Time

29. Computed Tomagraphy (EMI scan, axial)
Gr: tomos (slice) & graphein (to write).
• Developed in the 1970’s
• X-ray beams are passed
through the head
• A 2 or even 3-
dimensional structural
map is created

30. Atypical CT
68 year old man
Cerebellar hemorrhage
extending into midbrain &
ventricles
Klein JP, Ryther RC (2009). Images in clinical medicine. Central nervous system hemorrhage. New
England Journal of Medicine, 361(18), 1786.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2009/10/ghost_in_the_brain_an_appariti.html?sc=fb&cc=fp

31. Positron Emission Tomography (PET)
• Radioactive material is
injected into the blood
• Scanner records the
radioactivity (positron) in
different parts of the brain
• Provides information about
function
• Very useful for research
For more detailed information about PET, goto:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positron_emission_tomography

32. Figure 2. Brain Glucose Metabolic Images Showing Axial Planes at the Level of the
Orbitofrontal Cortex
Volkow, N. D. et al. JAMA 2011;305:808-813
Copyright restrictions may apply.

33. Functional Magnetic Resonance
Imaging (fMRI)
• A cylindrical magnet
creates a magnetic field
• A sensor records blood
flow and brain
activation
• Can also be used for
just structure
• White matter
• Gray matter
• Ventricle

34. Comparison of Imaging Techniques
Measures
Procedure Brain:
Advantage Disadvantage
Function Excellent temporal Measures only from brain
EEG resolution (msec) surface
CT Structure Found in many Some radiation exposure
hospitals
Function Wide variety of Poor temporal resolution (min),
PET Poor spatial resolution (cm)
uses
Radiation exposure
fMRI Function Good temporal Patient cannot have
resolution (sec), metal implants
Good spatial
resolution (0.5cm)

35. What plane?
Sarah Tappon, 8/5/2009

36. Useful video
• 2 Mininute Neuroanatomy Overview
(Humorous, really!)
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAurv6m
AWKM

37. C
A
B
D
E
L
K H F
G
J I

38. and sheep brain

39. Cranial Nerves
• I. Olfactory: smell (S)
• II. Optic: vision (S)
• III. Oculomotor: pupil construction (M)
• IV. Trochlear: eye movement (M)
• V. Trigeminal: face & teeth (S), jaw (M)
• X. Vagus: heart (SM), autonomic nervous system

40. The Nervous System

41. Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)
Sympathetic NS
“Arouses”
(fight-or-flight)
Parasympathetic NS
“Calms”
(rest and digest)